Hand starter



P 1933- R. P. LANSING 1,925,193

HAND STARTER I Filed May 23, 1929 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND sranrcn Application May 23, 1929. Serial No. 365,493

@laims.

for internal combustion engines.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel starting mechanism for internal comai bustion engines which is powerful and efficient in operation but small, light and compact in construction. I

Another object is to provide starting mech anism for internal combustion engines which is designed and constructed in a novel manner so as to efiect economies in the manufacture and assembly of the starter parts. Another object of the invention is to provide hand starting mechanism for internal combustion engines embodying novel means for preventing injury to the operator in case of backfire.

One embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be expressly understood that said drawing is .for purposes of illustration only and is not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to, the appended claims ior this purpose.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective showing a part of the mechanism of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective showing further parts of the mechanism of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the starter as shown comprises a casing or housing including an inner housing section 4 and an outer housing section or can 5, the inner housing section being provided with a suitable flange 6 to which the outer housing section may be secured in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts 7. The inner housing section a is adapted to be secured to the crankcase or other part 8 of an internal combusion engine to be started, and to this end said housing section is provided with a suitable flange 9 which may be secured to the engine casing by suitable means such as bolts 10. I

Rotatably mounted in any suitable manner in the starter housing is a driving gear 11 which is preferably a bevel gear and meshes with a bevel gear 12, the latter being preferably integral with a shaft 13 which is rotatably mounted by means of bushings 1-1 in a bearing 15 formed in the housing section 5. The end of shaft 13 projects exteriorly of the starter hous- 5 su table term 01' cranking means. As shown, the

ing and is adapted for engagement with any .tions 33 and the outermost friction disk 29. A

, This invention relates to starting mechanism starter is adapted for manual operation and accordingly a sleeve .16 is preferably fitted to the end of the shaft 13 and pinned thereto at 17, the open end of said sleeve being provided with a transversely extending pin 18 with which a 69 hand crank may be engaged.

Rotation of driving gear 11 is transmitted throughsuitable means to a clutch jaw 19 that is adapted to be shifted axially into driving engagement with a corresponding clutch jaw 20 mounted 5 on the crankshaft or other part of the engine to be started. In order to prevent injury to the operator in case of back. fire, however, it is desirable to provide means for locking the driving gear against rotation in the reverse direction and to interpose a yieldable driving'connection between i said driving gear and theclutch jaw 19 to permit relative slippage between said parts. In the form shown, a multiple dish friction clutch is employed which is positioned within a driving barrel that is secured to and constitutes a cylindrical extension of the driving gear 11, said barrel being rotatably mounted in the starter housing and likewise constituting a rotatable mounting for the driving gear. The rotating barrel is constituted by a cupshaped member 21 (Fig. 2), the central portion of the bottom of the cup being open and the peripheral portion 22 suitably secured as by means of rivets 23 to an annular plate as that is in turn suitably secured as by means of rivets 25 to the driving gear ll. The plate 24 is preferably provided on its inner face with a laterally extending flange 26 to provide a recess in which the cup 21 is seated. The side wall of cup 21 is provided 99 with a plurality of slots 27 spaced at intervals around said wall and extending parallel to the axis of the cup, and a cylindrical sleeve 28 surrounds the cup, preferably having a pressed ht therewith. Cup 21 and sleeve 28, secured to the driving gear ll as above described, constitute a rotating driving member or barrel which is rotatably mounted in the starter housing section 4 and forms the rotatable mounting for the gear ll.

The friction clutch is constituted by a plurality of interleaving annular disks 29, alternate dislrs being provided with a plurality of radial lugs 30 which engage the slots 27 of the cup 21 and alternate disks being splined to an interiorly threaded nut or sleeve 31 by means of parallel axially extending splines 32. The latter are preferably L-shaped, being provided with outwardly extending portions 33 adjacentthe uter end of nut 31, and a washer 34 is interposed between the porwasher bears against the innermost friction disk 31, the disks being held in frictional engagement by a plurality of coil springs 36, the tension of which may be adjusted by means of a nut 37 threaded on the inner end of the nut or sleeve 31. Preferably, coil springs 36 are maintained in properly spaced relation around the nut 31 by means of studs 38 carried by a ring 39.

A shaft 46 has threaded engagement in the nut 31 and is adapted for relative rotary and iongitudinal movement therein, said shaft being movable to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, until a stop nut i1 threaded on the outer end of the shaft engages a shoulder 42 formed on the interior of the nut 31. The inner end of shaft is re duced in diameter and has splined engagement with the interior of a hollow hub 43 of the clutch jaw 19, the outer end of said hub being adapted to engage a shoulder 44 formed in the interior of the nut 31, when the clutch jaw is in the .retracted position shown in the drawing. A rod 45 passes freely through the shaft to, said rod being provided on its outer end with a nut as, the inner end of said rod passing through a central opening in the clutch jaw 19 and being provided with a nut 4?. Suitable resilient means, such as a coil spring 4.3, are interposed between the shaft 40' and the clutch jaw 19.

Means are provided for causing the shaft 40 to move to the left in the nut 31, as viewed in Fig. 1, when the starter is cranked, whereby clutch jaw 19 may be yieldingly moved into engagement .with clutch jaw 20. Preferably, said means'is automatic in operation and is suitably mounted on the starter housing, being carried in the form shown by an oil deflecting member 49 which is clamped between the flanges 8 and 9 of the engine crank case and starter housing respectively, and is provided with a lip 50 surrounding and of only slightly greater diameter than the clutch jaw 19. This automatic meshing feature is not herein claimed, per so, as it forms the subject matter of claims in my pending application Serial No. 341,145, filed February 19, 1929.

As seen more particularly in Fig. 3, a two-part ring 51 is provided with a curved portion 52 shaped to fit in the lip 50 of the oil deflecting member, and with a peripheral groove which receives a coil spring 53 surrounding the ring 51 and holding the two parts thereof in frictional engagementwith the lip 50. The interior of ring 51 is provided with a suitable number of lugs 54 projecting radially inward and adapted to engage in notches 55 formed in' the periphery of the clutch jaw 19. When the driving gear 11 is actuated to rotate nut 31 through the friction clutch 29, shaft 40 likewise rotates, and owing to the splined engagement between the'latter and clutch jaw 19, said clutch jaw is caused to rotate, carrying with it the ring 51. The frictional drag of said ring on the lip 50, causes shaft 40 to rotate relative to nut 31, and the threaded engagement is such as to cause shaft 40 to travel to the left in nut 31 until stop nut 41 engages shoulder 42, when shaft 40 and nut 31 rotate in unison, with jaw 19 in driving engagement with jaw 20.

In order to prevent injury to the operator in case of backfire of the engine, suitable means are provided for preventing reverse rotation of shaft 13. -As shown, said means comprises a ratchet mechanism, one member 56 of which is mounted on the starter housing in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts 5'7. and the other member 58 of which is splined in the hollow hub' 59 of the driving gear 11. A coil spring 59, bearing at one end in a spring seat 60 formed on the ratchet member 58. and at the other, end on a ring 61' that is carried by nut 31. urges ratchet member 58 outwardly into engagement with ratchet member 56. Ring 61 may be provided with lugs or tongues 62 which engage between the splines 32 on the nut 31, whereby said ring is securely mounted on the nut 31. I

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. A hand crank is fitted to the sleeve 16 and pin 18 and is rotated in the proper direction to crank the engine. The resulting rotation of shaft 13 is transmitted through bevel gear 12 to the driving gear 11, the shape of the teeth of ratchet members 56 and 58 being such as to allow rotation in this direction. Driving gear 11 carries with it in rotation the driving barrel 21, 28, rotating on the latter as a journal. The rotation of the driving barrel is transmitted through friction clutch 29 to nut 31, shaft 40, clutch jaw 19, and ring 51. The frictional resistance between lip 50 and ring portion 52, results in rotation of shaft i0 relative to the nut 31 and causes said shaft to move to the left in the nut and to act through spring 18 to urge clutch jaw 19 inwardly into driving engagement with clutch jaw 20.

As soon as the engine starts under its own power and the speed of clutch jaw 20 becomes greater than that of clutch jaw 19, the shape of the teeth of said clutch jaws forces jaw 19 to the right or outwardly, out of engagement with clutch jaw 20. Should the engine backfire with the clutch jaws in driving engagement, the driving gear 11 will be locked against reverse rotation by the ratchet teeth of members 56 and 58. whereupon the friction clutch 29 will permit slippage between clutch jaw 19 and driving gear 11.

It will be noted that the design of the starter is such as to provide a very compact, small and light mechanism, while at the same time, a powerful, efficient and safe starter is provided. The clutch jaws are automatically shifted into engagement as soon as the starter handle is rotated, and the driving gear is effectively locked against reverse rotation whereby danger of injury to the operator in case of backfire is eliminated and at the same time damage to the starter parts is prevented by the friction clutch which permits slippage. Moreover, the design of the parts is such as to result in economies of manufacture and assembly, parts of standard construction for apparatus of this character being employed to a large extent and all parts being of simple construction as, for example, in the case of the rotating driving barrel which may be formed by punching metal plates to form the cup and surrounding sleeve.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of embodiment in various forms, many of which will now occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of, the invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for posed between said gear and clutch member, means including a stationary ratchet member and a cooperating ratchet member splined in the hub of said gear for preventing rotation of said gear in one direction, and a cranking shaft drivably connected with said gear.

2. In a starter for internal combustion engines,

a clutch member adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, a gear mounted concentrically with said clutch member, a cranking shaft drivably connected to said gear, means including a fixed ratchet member and a cooperating ratchet member splined in the hub of said gear for preventing rotation thereof in one direction, means including a yieldable driving connection for drivably connecting said gear and said clutch member, and means automatically operable on rotation of said clutch member to shift the latter axially into engagement with said engine member.

3. In a hand starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a clutch member rotatably mounted therein and adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, a gear rotatably mounted in said housing, means including a yieldable driving connection for drivably connecting said gear with said clutch member, a manually operable cranking shaft drivably connected with said gear, ratchet mechanism including a member secured to said housing and a cooperating member splined in the hub of said gear to prevent rotation of said gear in one direction, and means operable on rotation of said gear in the other direction to shift said clutch member into driving engagement with said engine member.

4. In a hand starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a clutch member rotatably mounted therein and adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, adriving gear rotatably mounted in said housing, manual-' 1y operable means for rotating said gear, means drivably connecting said gear with said clutch member including a yieldable driving connection interposed between said gear and clutch member, means for shifting said clutch member into engagement with said engine member, and one-way ratchet mechanism interposed between said gear and said housing, said mechanism including a ratchet member secured to said housing and a cooperating ratchet member splined to said gear.

5. In a starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a clutch member rotatably mounted therein and adapted to engage a memberofanenginetobestarted,adrivlnggear having a cylindrical barrel rotatably mounted in said housing and a hollow hub, means including a friction clutch pomtioned within said barrel for drivably connecting said barrel and clutch member, means for rotating said gear, means for shifting said clutch member longitudinally relative to said barrel to engage said engine member, and ratchet mechanism interposed between said gear and said housing including aratchet member mounted on said housing and a cooperating ratchet member splined in the hub of said gear.

8. In a starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a rotatable clutch member in said housing and adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, an annular driving gear disposed concentrically' with said clutch member and having a barrel thereon, said barrel being rotatably mounted in said housing and constituting a support for said gear, means positioned within said barrel and having splined engagement with said clutch member, a yieldable driving connection interposed between said means and said barrel, ratchet mechanism including a ratchet member mounted on said housing and a cooperating ratchet member splined in the central opening of said annular gear, resilient means interposed between said splined ratchet member and said means, means for rotating said driving gear, and means for shifting said clutch member into engagement with said engine member.

'7. In a starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a rotating driving gear, means for rotating said gear, aslotted cup-shaped member drivably connected with said gear, a jaw clutch member adapted to engage a memberof an engine to be started. driving means for said clutch member. having splined engagement therewith and pomtioned within said cup-shaped member, a friction disk clutch interposed between said driving means and said cup-shaped member. a plurality of the disks being secured to said driving means and a plurality having lugs engaging the slots of said cup-shaped member, a sleeve surrounding and secured to said cup-shaped member, and means for rotatably mounting said sleeve in said housing.

8. In a starter for internal combustion engines of the type having a rotating driving barrel, a jaw clutch member adapted to engage a-member of an engine to be started, means within said barrel having driving engagement with said jaw clutch member, and a friction disk clutch interposed between said barrel and means, the combination of" a cup-shaped member, said cupshaped member having slotted sides, friction disks positioned within said cup-shaped member and having lugs engaging in said slots, and a sleeve surrounding and secured to said cup- 1l shaped member and constituting therewith said rotatingdriving barrel.

9. In a starter for internal combustion engines, a clutch member adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started, yielding means including a coiled spring operative on rotation of said clutch member to shift the same axially into driving engagement with said engine member, a gear drivably connected to said clutch member, a cranking shaft drivably connected with said gear, and means for limiting rotation of said gear to one direction only, said last named means including a ratchet mechanism and a second coiled 9 1 8 disposed in coaxial m nt with said first spring.

10. In a hand starter for internal combustion engines, a starter housing, a clutch member rotatably mounted therein and adapted to engageamemberofanenginetobestartedagear rotatably mounted in said housing, a manually 5 operable cranking shaft drivably connected with said gear, means interposed between said gear andsaid housing to prevent rotation of said cranking shaft in one direction, means including a coiled compression spring for exerting a predetermined pressure on said preventing means, and a second coiled spring disposed in coaxial alignment with said first named spring, said second spring being operable on rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction to shift said clutch 

